Zebulon park closed when lead found in soil
GET PROTEIN IN YOUR DIET AND
SUPPLEMENTS OUT.
>> NEW TONIGHT, A WAKE COUNTY
PARK BUILT ON TOP OF AN OLD
LANDFILL IS NOW CLOSED BECAUSE
OF LEAD CONCERNS. BUT LEADERS
HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR NEARLY
2 YEARS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US. I'M GERALD OWENS AND I'M
ASHLEY WROTE TONIGHT WE'RE
ASKING LEADERS AND SAID YOU AND
WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TO CLOSE
THE PARK.
>> WRAL'S HEIDI KIRK JOINING US
NOW LIVE FROM THE TOWN. HEIDI,
WHAT ARE LEADERS TELLING YOU?
WE TOOK ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS
TO ZEBULON IS PARKS AND REC
DIRECTOR SAID SHE RELIED ON
EXPERT OPINION TO DECIDE
WHETHER TO KEEP THIS PARK OPEN.
>> OR CLOSE IT, AS YOU CAN SEE
ON THE SIGNS HERE. SHE SAID
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE LAST
MEETING WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY THAT
SHE DECIDED THAT THE SIGNS
NEEDED TO GO UP.
>> THOMAS HOLLOWAY EAT HIS
LUNCH AT GILL STREET PARK OFF
DID. BUT TODAY HE WAS GREETED
BY A SIGN AND A WARNING TO SEE
THAT THERE. IT SCANS. THE TOWN
OF ZEBULON IS KEEPING PEOPLE
OUT OF THE PARK 2 YEARS AFTER
TESTING FIRST FOUND LEAD IN THE
SOIL. THE TOWN CLOSE PORTIONS
OF IT AND ADDED PROTECTIVE
MEASURES AT THE RECOMMENDATION
OF AN BUT IT REMAINED PARTIALLY
OPEN UNTIL NOW THEY'RE GOING TO
BE PARENTS THAT HEAR THIS AND
KNOW THAT IN 2024 LEAD WAS
FOUND HERE. WHY THE TWO-YEAR
PERIOD WERE THERE CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT CLOSING IT AT THAT TIME?
>> YEAH, WE ASKED BASED ON THE
DATA THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE TO
US. WHAT REMEDIATION STEPS
NEEDED TO BE TAKEN. WE TOOK ALL
THE STEPS THAT WE WERE ADVISED
TO TAKE DOCUMENTS OBTAINED BY
WRAL INVESTIGATES SHOW TOWN
OFFICIALS KNEW THE PARK WAS
DEVELOPED ON TOP OF AN OLD
LANDFILL AT LEAST 20 YEARS AGO.
WE ASKED WHY NO TESTING WAS
DONE BEFORE 2024.
>> THE TOWN REFERRED US TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY. AND IT'S PRETTY
REGULATORY LANDFILL PROGRAM,
WHICH USES TAX FUNDS TO CONDUCT
TESTING AND REMEDIATION AT
SITES LIKE THIS. WRAL REACHED
OUT TO THE DEQ AND HAVE NOT GET
HER BACK.
>> SAYS WHEN GILLS STREET PARK
WAS BUILT IN THE 60'S, THEY DID
NOT THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE
NOW. OTHERWISE, A DIFFERENT
DECISION MAY HAVE BEEN MADE.
IT WAS MANY YEARS LATER.
>> THAT THE REGULATORY
LANDFILLS STARTED TO GET AND
THAT RECOGNITION THAT THERE
MIGHT BE SOME THINGS THAT ARE
CONCERNING. THE TOWN IS WORKING
WITH THE DEQ TO FIND A SAFE WAY
TO MAKE THIS PARK A PLACE WHERE
PEOPLE CAN GATHER AGAIN.
>> AND NEXT MONTH, THE TOWN IS
HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEETING
WHICH IS GOING TO INVOLVE ALL
OF THE PARTNERS AND THE
COMMUNITY HERE TO DISCUSS THE
NEXT STEPS AND WHAT PEOPLE NEED